Tagging Terrorists
It is now 2006. Almost 4 1/2 years since members of Al Qaeda viciously attacked our country, murdering 3,000 Americans. Yet, we’ve just recently approved the completion of a border fence to close up open transit for illegals at the Mexican border, the Democratic party is kicking and screaming about legally wiretapping suspected Islamofacists, and Granny is still being searched at our airport terminals. Our military is superbly handling the fight outside of borders, but what about the fight within? We are a nation of laws. Our Constitution empowered a people’s government—and that government should be enacting laws (like the Patriot Act) that aggressively protect us.
According to Daniel Pipes, the United States should begin “tagging” (i.e., electronic monitorization) suspected terrorists. Last week, German Interior Minister Uwe Schünemann proposed tagging three types or classes of terrorists: dangerous Islamists, hate preachers, and terrorist camp graduates. Pipes notes that tagging is permitted in the UK and Australia.
In my view, tagging is a fallback strategy. If the terrorist supporter cannot be deported or incarcerated for life, then tagging would at least temporarily keep the FBI and other law enforcement agencies apprised of his or her whereabouts. However, monitoring physical location would not necessarily translate in the prevention of terrorist attacks. For example, a radical imam who wears an electric bracelet who sits in his mosque 24-7 does not provide much information. In addition, it would still allow for the Islamic filth and perversion that he spews to filter throughout congregants and sift into unbridled minds of youth and adult alike. Pipes suggests coupling the locality monitoring with communication monitoring. Communication monitoring would include monitoring telephone, direct mail, and electronic mail correspondence. In the case of the radical imam, communication tagging might stem and curb the content from that one individual but likely would result in greater creativity by the terrorists and their confidants (who are not monitored) to enact their anti-American designs.
My solution would be to change our sedition laws to define a terrorist conviction or support of a monetary operation as a seditious or treasonous offense. In addition, the law should be amended to require immediate deportation to their country of origin. If the terrorist convincingly claims that he would be killed if deported, he could choose the option of incarceration for life without the possibility of parole. No other option would be given.
Whether by tagging terrorists or changing our sedition laws to expel or lock them down for life, our government needs to work proactively and aggresively to protect our Nation from within. It’s time to stop worrying about safeguarding the civil liberties of terrorists and start worrying about protecting the civil liberties of loyal American citizens.